Golf-club.



A. E. LARD.

GOLF CLUB.

APPLICATION FILED OCT. 16. 1914.

Patented July 10, 1917.

192mm &

. lAENT Finn.

ALLAN E. LARD, OF WASHINGTON, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, ASSIGNOR TO THE OFDELAWARE.

GOLF-CLUB.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALLAN E. LARD, a citizen of the United States,residing at Washington, in the District of Columbia, have inventedcertain new and useful Improvements in Golf-Clubs, of which thefollowing is a specification.

My present invention pertains to improvements in golfclubs, and moreparticularly the shaft employed in connection therewith.

The main 0b]8Cl3 of the invention is to produce a metallic shaftembodying all the desirable and requisite features of a wooden shaft,and eliminating the objectionable features inherent thereto, namely,breaking, warping, becoming dead or set, and the care and attentionnecessary during and after exposure to rain.

A golf-club shaft must, as is well understood by those skilled in theuse of golfclubs have proper weight, and also proper balance, and theshaft must have the right whip to be effective, the whip being a mat terof degree, varying with the taste and requirements of different players.

Satisfactory metallic golf shafts have not, so far as I have been ableto ascertain, as yet appeared, and the main difficulty has been theinability to secure the absolutely essential feature of torsion in theshaft. An ordinary hollow steel golf shaft has no torsioning qualitiesunder impact, and such tor sioning or twisting of the shaft is just asindispensable in a metallic shaft as it is in a wooden one.

The face of the head of a golf shaft is ofi set or out of line with theshaft, and consequently when impact against the ball occurs a woodenshaft not only flexes backwardly, but also twists or torsions, and it issuch torsioning that adds propelling power which assists in lengtheningthe drive. Furthermore, this torsioning, cooperating with the turning ofthe wrists (it being a well-known fact that the wrists must turn inevery properly executed golf swing where distance is required), and aproper swing of the club, tends to give a long straight ball with aminimum efi'ort. In short, a longer and a straighter ball can beobtained by a skilled player with a club having a live wooden shaft thattorsions than with one which does not.

Another important feature of the torsioning is that it tends to cushionthe blow, the

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed October 16,

Patented July are, 19117. 1914. Serial No. 866,887.

result being a yielding, pleasant sensation rather than a sudden orjarring one. When the head of the club, traveling at a high rate ofspeed, impacts against the ball, the tendency is to turn the shaft inthe hands, and it will be readily seen that the shaft is less liable tojar when this sudden twisting effect is cushioned by the torsionlngaction of the shaft, such action traveling the length of the shaft andbeing, to a certain extent, more gradually and pliantly applied to thegripping hands. It is, therefore, quite apparent and a well-known factto those versed in the science of the game, that torsion isindispensable in a wooden golf-shaft, and it naturally follows that itis just as indispensable in a steel golf-shaft.

Two embodiments of my invention are shown in the annexed drawings,wherein:

Figure 1 'is a sectional elevation of a golf club showing my improvedshaft applied thereto;

Figs. 2 and 3 transverse sectional views, on a somewhat enlarged scale,taken, respectively, on lines 2-2 and 33 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a side elevation of a modified form of, shaft; and

Fig. 5 a plan view of the blank from which the shaft may be produced.

Referring to the construction shown in Figs. 1 to 3 inclusive, and whichI may here state has been actually produced and tested out, 1 denotesthe shaft, which in the present instance is formed of a tapered tube,preferably made of tempered spring steel, to the lower smaller end ofwhich is secured a head 2, while at the opposite end it is provided withthe ordinary grip or handle 3. This grip may be produced in any suitablemanner. In order to facilitate the attachment of the usual grip to theshaft by tacks, which are now commonly employed, I providetwo plugs 4and 5, the former preferably fluted longitudinally and driven to placewithin the tube, while the latter is driven into the upper or outer endof the tube. Tacks employed to secure the listing and the calf grim-willbe driven through the slots and into the plugs.

The shaft 1, as will be noted, is provided with a series oflongitudinally-extending slots or slits 6, said slots extendinglengthwise of the shaft in four different lines, two of suchlongitudinally-extending series standing opposite each other and bearinga staggered relation to the other two longitudinally-extending lines ofslots. There is thus produced what may be termed a series oflongitudinally-extending ribs or members which are curved upon the arcof a circle the center of which is coincident with the axis of theshaft. As shown, the slots 6 extend substantially to the upper end ofthe shaft and beneath the grip portion of the club, so as to effect, asnearly as possible, the torsioning action which obtains in a woodenshaft under impact. It is, of. course, conceivable that the slots oropenings may not be arranged in the exact relation shown in Fig. 1, solong as there be a plurality of slots or openings which will permit theshaft to torsion and yet render it sufliciently strong to prevent itfrom buckling when in use. The arrangement of the slots or open: ingsquartering around the tube and one series of slots bearing a staggeredrelation to the next adjacent series, has been found quite efficient,and produces in the shaft that degree of torsion which is present in ahighgrade Wooden shaft, an article which it is becoming more and moredifficult to obtain. In fact, it is not now possible, owing to thescarcity of suitable wood, to obtain shafts in suflicient number toanywhere nearly fill the demand therefor.

The manner in which the tube is formed is immaterial. Tapered steeltubing is readily drawn or swaged, and such tube may be slotted andtempered, or the tube may be formed up from a blank in which the slotsoFr openings are initially produced, as in Moreover, the shaft need notbe tapered, for, as shown in Fig. 4, it may be produced from a trulycylindrical tube or brought into the desired tubular form from a blank,the diameter of the finished article being the same throughout. Slots oropenings in this form are shown the same as in the other, though, aswill be understood, the invention is not limited to the specificarrangement of slots or openingmdisclosed.

Under both constructions'the shaft may be said to have a series ofcurved or areshaped members extending longitudinally thereof andconnected together by ears or members 7. The degree of torsion will, of

course, be dependent upon the number of the slots and the size thereof.

The whip, under the construction illustrated in Fig. 1, may be locatedor accentuated at any desired point in the length of the shaft byvarying the diameter thereof at the point where the whip is to beproduced. Thus, it may be localized adjacent and when made of high-gradesteel and properly tempered its life is almost limitless.

Any suitable light filling material may be inserted in the tube, as forinstance, cotton, cork or wicking, in order to deaden the metallic ringwhich would otherwise be present ghen the head of the club impacts withthe all.

If desired, the shaft may be wrapped to cover the slots, and to preventingress of moisture to the interior of the shaft where, if it be notprotected by enameling or otherwise, rust might ensue. Such wrappingmoreover may be employed to strengthen the shaft, if perchance thisstrengthening should be found necessary, though in practical use it isapparently not needed. i

The head 2 may be secured to the shaft in any desired manner, as by theemployment of a screw 8, passed through the lower end of the shaft andinto the head, see Fig. 1, which is additional to the driving fit whichis secured with a tapered shaft, and the presence of any cementitiousmaterial which may be placedin the socket'in the head. A through-pin 9may likewise be employed, though this will probably be foundunnecessary.

As shown in Fig. 1, a bushing 10 may be placed in a socket in the head,and the tube driven into such bushing. This may be necessary where theheads are bored out to receive a wooden shaft which may be of a diameterlarger than the metallic shaft to be inserted. Any form of bushing maybe employed, but preferably a wooden one will be used in con1unctionwith a wooden head.

Where the shaft is applied to a metallic head, a metallic bushing-willbe employed,

if necessary, and the parts brazed'or soldered together, with the shaftin place in the bushing; but where the bushing is not essential ornecessary the shaft will be diiecty secured in the socket formed in theHaving thus described my invention, what I claim is: v 1. As a newarticle of manufacture, a metallic golf-shaft, substantially cylindricalin cross-section, composed of a series of curved and interconnected bodymembers extending longitudinally thereof.'

2. As a new article of manufacture, a

metallic golf-shaft, substantially c lindri cal in cross-section,composed of ap urality of body members extendinglongitudinally of theshaft and curved 1n cross-section,

said members tapering toward the lower'end of the shaft and beinginterconnected.

3. As 'a new article of manufacture, a tubular metallic golf shaft,substantially cylindrical'in cross;.se ction, produced from a sheet ofmetal brought into form, with a plurality of body members extendinglongi:

tudinallyof the shaft and connected to each.

other by a lurality of ears at spaced intervals throug out the length ofthe shaft.

4:. As a new article of manufacture, a tubular mletallic golf shaft,substantially cylindrical in cross-section, formed from a single sheetof metal and having a plurality of tapered body members extendinglengthwise thereof, said members being connected it spaced intervalsthroughout their length ears. 5. As a new article of manufacture, atubular metallic golf shaft, cylindrical in cross-section, provided witha plurality of series of longitudinally-extending slots, the slots ofone series bearing a staggered relation to those of the others.

6. As a new article of manufacture, a

tubular metallic golf shaft, cylindrical in cross-section, said shaftbeing provided with a plurality of series of longitudinally-extendingslots, the slots of one series bearin a staggered relation to those ofthe next adjacent series upon each side thereof.

7. In a golf club, the combination of a hollow metallic shaft; a headsecured thereto; a plug mounted in the shaft adjacent the lower end ofthe grip; a second plug secured in the upper end of the shaft; and agrip overlying the shaft and secured to said plugs.

8. In a golf club, the combination of a hollow slotted metallic shaft; ahead secured thereto; a plug mounted in the shaft adjacent the lower endof the grip; a second plugsecured in the upper end ofthe shaft; and agrip overlying the shaft and secured to said'plugs.

9. Av golf club comprising a tubular shaft substantially cylindrical incross-section and formed with a plurality of slits therein arranged instaggered relation.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses.

' ALLAN E. LARD.

Witnesses:

HORACE A. Donon, BENNETT S. J ONES.

